Plastic side molding strips are provided for various manufactured articles such as appliances and motor vehicles in order to minimize damage to a side body panel of the article from inadvertent, slight contact. In order to enhance the appearance of such molding strips, it is desirable to have the color of the molding strip match the color of the side body panel.
Frequently, a clear PVC totally encapsulates the molding strip in order to prevent separation between the underlying plastic body and the clear PVC. However, total encapsulation of the plastic body by the clear PVC is undesirable for a number of reasons including inefficient use of the clear PVC.
One proposed alternative to total encapsulation is to use multiple dies, the last one of which applies a top coat of clear PVC to the extruded plastic body.
One disadvantage of this method is that the clear plastic layer has a tendency to separate from its underlying plastic body during use of the molding strip, especially when the molding strip encounters impact at extreme temperatures or when the molding strip is used around corners having a relatively small radius.
The U.S. Patents to Angioletti et al 4,087,223, Gans et al 4,269,897, Azzola 4,381,273, Preis 4,470,943, Zoller 4,563,141, Adell 4,581,807 and Paul 4,643,659 all deal with extrusion of more than one type of plastic to form a resulting plastic part. For example, the U.S. Patent to Azzola discloses a sealing strip, including a channel-shaped attachment profile of rubber in which a metallic reenforcement strip is embedded. The profile has an external coating layer of sponge rubber with an outer surface rendered velvety by abrasion.